Film-treating apparatus



Jan. 2, 1923. 1,441,163. F. c. MARTIN ET AL.

FILM TREATING APPARATUS. FILED MAY 11, 1923.

T FI .l

2 SHEETSSHEET l- 6* WE N 1% WITNESSES Jan. 2, 1923. 1,441,163. F. c. MARTIN ET AL.

FILM TREATING APPARATUS.

man MAY 11. 1920. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 qr I ll 1-,, 1

r 1 I /L]! Joknfi' aslafi" lkm'erwizd INVENTORS,

WITNESSES A TTORNE YS.

Patented Jan. 2, 1923.

UNITED STATES JOHN G. CAPSTAFF AND FREDERICK C.

PATENT OFFICE.

MARTIN, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK,

ASSIGNORS TO EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, A

CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

- FILM-TREATING APPARATUS.

Applilzation filed May 17, 1920. Serlal No. 382,168.

To all whom it may con cern Be it known that we, Jonu G. Carsrarr, a subject of the King of Great Britain and FREDERICK C. MARTIN, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Film- Treating Apparatus. of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

Our present invention relates to photography. and more particularly to machines in which a strip of photographically light sensitive material may he developed, fixed, washed, and dried.

One object of our invention is to rovide a device in which a photographic fi m may be developed. fixed. washed. and dried without being removed from the machine, or a-. machine in which any one of the above mentioned treatments may be separately given to the hotographically sensitive film; a further ohject is to provide a machine which will eliminate handling the photographic material during treatment: a still further object is to devise a tank for treatment which will use a very small quantity of'solution, and one which is adapted to sweep the so-' lution rapidly and evenlv over the strip material; another object of the invention is to produce a solution measuring device which forms a part of one of the treatment tanks; and another object is to provide means for rapidly and thoroughly washing a strip of material. To these and other ends the invention resides in certain improvements and combinations of parts all as will he hereinafter more fully described. the features being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the drawings. wherein like reference characters designate the same parts throughout.

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a machine constructed in accordance with and illustrating one embodiment of our invention. a roll of motion picture film being shown wound on the lower reel in position for developing.

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the spraying head for washing the film.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary elevation of the inside of the base of the machine showing the latch for holding the tank inone position.

Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the machine shown in Fi 1. Fig. 5 is a section on line 5-5 of Fig. 1, portions being shown in elevation for con venience, and the tank being in another position.

Fig. 6 is a detail of a latch for holding the treatment tank in one position.

This machine is particularly adapted for use in developing, fixing, washing. and drying a long strip of photographic filin such as motion picture film or the long strip film used in some of the aviation cameras. The film F is first wound upon the lower reel or drum 1, inwhich position it is developed, fixed. and washed. and then is rewound upon the upper drum 2 where it is dried.

The machine consists in end frames 3 and 4. which have hearings 5 and 6 for a shaft 7, upon which the lower reel or developing drum 1 is mounted. This drum consists of, in the embodiment shown in the drawings, a series of wheels 8 which support slats 9 on their peripheries. the slats preferably being provided with guide pins 10'. In the drawings these guiding pins are shown on every other slat. astlns was found sufiicient in practice to properly guide the film. This drum may also he made as shown in patent to J. I. Crabtree No. 1.225.929. May 15, 1917. if desired. On the upper part of the side 'frames 3 and 4 there are bearings 11 and 12 for the upper reel or drum. which in this instance is shown made of wheels 8 and slats 9 similar to the lower reel 1. except that the slats are placed farther apart. This reel is carried by a shaft 13. which also supports the ends 1-1 of a hood 15 which is movable into two positions. In Fig. 1 the hood is shown open and in Fig. -l closed. A chamloer is formed at the top of this machine by a rear wall 16. a top wall 17. side walls 18 and a bottom 19 which encloses the upper reel when the hood 15 is lowered. as shown in Fig. 4.

In order to rcvolvc reels 1 and 2 the shafts 7 and 13 are provided with sprocket :wheels .20 and 21 connected by a chain 22. A motor 23 on top of the developing machine provides power through a belt 2+ and pulley wheel :25 affixed to shaft 13 so that the reels may he automatically rotated. If desired. the drums may he revolved by a handle 26. In the embodiment shown in the drawings no means is shown for rotating the reels separately. but it is obvious that any skilled meehanie eould provide a suitable eonneetion for this purpose. if desired. ()n the shaft T there is atlixed a ratehet wheel 27 with whieh a pawl 28 eooperates so that the drums ean only be operated in the direetion shown by the arrows in Fig. 5.

The treatment tank 311 whieh is mounted so as to revolve about shaft T has a trough 3U aiiixed to its outer edge. there being an outlet 31 to the trough. whieh is provided with a rap 32' for eontrolling the iiow of liquid therefrom. tap or spigot may he used in plate of the rap. This trough is made so as to eontain when in the position shown in Fig. .i the proper quantity of fluid for developing one reel of film. latrh 32. see Fig. ti. is adapted to engage a flange 33 of the tank 2 so as to hold it in the position shown in Fig. .3. There is a spring 34 for aetuating this lateh. A seeond lateh 35. best shown in Fig. 3. is provided for bolding the tank in the position shown in Fig. l. the arm of the latch 36 eontaeting with the braeket 3T attaehed to the tank 2 This latch is provided with an operating end 38 and a seeond arm 35). which operates in the following manner: hen the latch 32 is released tank 29 swings about its shaft 7 until the braeket 37 passes the end of arm 30. whieh will swing back to the position shown in Fig. 3 so as to hold the tank in position for developing. The operating end 3h ran be depressed. thereby releasing the bracket 37 from arm 36. As bracket 37 swings it will strike arm 39 which will move the lateh from the positionshown in dotted lines to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 3. so that it will be in position to hold the tank when it is again swung forwardly.

The film is washed while still on reel 1 by means of water entering through the tube 50 into'the pipe 51. whieh is perforated at 53. forming a spraying head. Pipe 51 is fastened along one edge of tank 29. so that water sprayed from the openings 53 will eome in eontaet with the film F as reel 1. upon which the fihn is wound, is revolved. When used for washing. tank 29 is in the position shown in Fig. 5. the water being sprayed on the film and being-thrown off by the centrifugal force of the rapidly revolv ing drum against the bottom of tank 29. from which it drains through trough 3t). and out of the tap 31 into a bueket 52 or other eonvenient receptacle.

In order to dry the film. electric fans 40 are provided in the bottom wall 19 of the top chamber. A door 41 is hinged to the top wall 17 of this chamber. so that the air is earried in past the fan opening 41' against the revolving film on reel 2 and out of the opening 42 in the top. There is a battle plate 43 inside of the top of this chamber to vause the air eireuit to pass between the spiral wound lihn and to also eateh dustor dirt whieh may drop through door 42.

The operation oi the maehiue is as follows: The end of a reel of lilm to be developed is attaebed by a eouvenient elip to one end of the drum 1. whieh is then slowly revolved as the film is guided between the pins lit. The end of the film strip may be fastened by a elip t?) one of the slats. llaving the tank 25! in the position shown in Fig. 5 with the rap 32' elosing the outlet 31. the developing fluid is poured into the trough ii). whieh measures the neeessary amountof fluid. The motor is then started. so that the drum will be rapidly revolved as the eateh 3:2 is released. This eauses tank 29 to swing about shal't i'. giving an even sweep of the developing lluid from trough lit) aeross the face of the rapidly revolving lihn. This aetion evenly saturates all of the film in a verv short time. so that no preliminary dampening is neeessary to avoid uneven development. The tank is held in a developing position. as shown in Fig. l. by the lateh 3G. The rap 3'. is then removed so that as Soon as the development is eonipleted the-operator by pressing down on the arm 38 of latch 35 will allow the tank 29 to swing back into the position shown in Fig. :"i. so that the developing fluid will be diseharged through the. tube 31. if desired. the film may be washed a short time. although this step is not essential. and then the tank swung back to the position shown in Fig. l for fixing. After this step. the tank is again swung to its initial position and the film is washed by spraying water on the rapidly revolvin film through tube 50 and the spraying head 01. as best shown in Fig. After the washin is completed one end of the film F is attached by any convenient means to the reel :2. As the reels are revolved together the film F will be unwound from reel 1 and wound upon reel 2' in an even spiral. there being preferably guide pins 10 onthe. upper reel similar to those on the lower. The hood 15 is then elosed. as shown in Fig. 4 and the fans put in motion. the film being at the same time revolved by the drum 2.

It will be seen by the foregoing description that with our maehine a long strip of film (an be conveniently put through the various fluid treating steps and then dried without the necessity of the operator tonehing the sensitive surtaee of the film. iiy using eoneentrated solutions the steps of developing and fixing ean be very quirkly completed and after rapidly washing the film it can be dried upon the upper reel in a short time bv means of the forced air eireulation.

By drying one reel of film while another is bein treated by the various solutions. many rolls of film can be developed. fixed. washed and dried in a short time.

lOO

Hit

mamas machine without departinggt roin tha ,priny.

cipl which we have invented.

Ihrinatthu i ltfittibt l ur mvent letters l'atent is:

1. In a photographic film treating machine. the combination with a stand, and a tank mounted to swing on the stand. of a.

filpi support carried by the stand and extending into the tank, and means carried by the tank for flowing a solution over the filia as the tank is moved.

2. In a photographic film treating apparatus, the combination with a supporting stand, of a tank mounted to swing on the stand into two positions. a film support carried by the stand and extending into the tank, and means carried by the tank for measuring the necessary quantity of a, treatment bath when the tank is in one position, said means automatically emptying the bath into the tank when the tank swings from that position.

3. In aphotographic film treating apparatus, the combination with a supporting stand. of a tank mounted to swing on the stand to and from a solution holding position, a film support carried by the stand, and extendin r into the tank and means carried by he tank for measuring the necessary quantity of a treatment bath. said means automatically flowing the bath across the film as the bath is passed from the measuring means into the. tank, as said tank a pproaches the solution holding position.

4. In a film treating apparatus. the combination with a frame, of a film support car ried;b v the frame, a tank partially surrounding the film support, said tank being also supported by the frame. there being a trough fastened along one edge of the film tank, and means for sprayin water upon the film fromthe opposite et ge ofthe tank. the wash water draining from the film through the trough.

In a, photographic film machine. the combination with a frame. of a film reel carried by the frame, and a tank mounted to swing upon the frame and about the film reel into solution holding and solution discharging positions. a solution trough afiixed to the tank at an angle thereto. the solution trough receiving solution from the tank when the tank is in a solution discharging position and discharging solution into the tank as the tank is swung into a solution receiving position.

6. In a photographic film treating apparatus. the combination with a stand. of a tank mounted to swing on the stand into two positions, a measuring trough afiixed to the tank at substantially right angles thereto.

and neaua on i th h mmtlffltvlmlfi tlggtllbwill; n... one? masitim i E i wherein: nthe measuring trough. iwi hhold-L a sohitibna and ,n ea'nsioni the stand ton lnlihling tilietanld ii 1 the. othen posis tion ,in nllaioh the tank :will ilublditthei solution: 1? hr a photographicifilnmticueloningaiape laamat tlsa tlnqoomhinatiom with a: Sta-mil ot a tank mounted to swing on the stand. the tank swinging into two positions. a measuring device carried, by the tank. and two latches on the stand, one for holding the tank l a. position in which the measuring devicc'ivill hold fluid. the other holding the tank in a position in which the tank will hold fluid,

the fluid in the measuring device being transferred to the tank as the tank is swung between, the two latches.

8. In a machine for developing, fixing, and washing films, the combination with a supporting frame, of a film drum carried by the frame. a tank mounted to swing about the drmn into a solution carrying and into a solution discharging position.

9. In a machine for developing, fixing, and washing films, the combination with a supporting frame, of a film drum carried by the frame, a tank mounted to swing about the drum into a solution carrying andinto a solution discharging position, a solution trough carried by the tank, and a vent in the solution trough, said vent being adapted to discharge the solution from the tank when the tank is in the second mentioned posit-ion.

10. In a machine for treating photographic strip material. the combination with a frame, of a solution tank mounted to swing on the frame, a film drum mounted to revolve in the tank, asprinkling head, the tank being adapted to be swung into one position for holding fluid for treating the film and into another position for collecting the wash water sprayed through the sprinkling head upon the film.-

1l. In a photographic film treating device. the combination with a stand, of a shaft supported by the stand, a film reel mounted on the shaft and a tank mounted to swing on the film reel supporting shaft.

12. In a film treating apparatus. the combination with a stand, of two shafts revolubly mounted upon the stand. means for colinecting the shafts to ether. and means for imparting motion to the. shafts. film support ing drums mounted on the shafts. one drum for holding the film for liquid treatment and the other for holding the film for drying, the film being automatically wound from one drum to the other by the shaft rotating mechanism.

13. In a film treating apparatus for (leveL oping. fixing. washing and drying strips of film in rapid succession. the combination with a stand. of two shafts mounted revolul l upon the stanilfa motor operably connected to the shafts, and film drums supported nipgm the slnlfts; one (lrum bingsuspPmlvil in a snlhtiim Walling tallk the other llrum lwing mu-lnsml in a lll' \lll, '"(llanlblr nwans including the motor for changing the lilm frnm the drilm suspi nllvil in the lreat mvnt tank tn (he drum mounted in the) drylug (-lmmlwr. said nieafisalsu' operating the dr mns to simultaneously treat an? film with solutions, while another film is being (li'ldi Signal at llovlwestvr. Nvw Ym'k this 12th 10 (lay uf .\l:1 v I920.

FREDK. v. MARTIN. JOHN G. (APSTAFBX 

